Swish
by Lola.Lion
Summary: AU: Basketball rules their lives. And Allen, Lavi and Lenalee are the best basketball team in the neighborhood-- until they meet Kanda. Based on the cover art for chapter 187.
1. Chapter 1

_Boing. Boing_. Allen dribbled the ball up the court, concentration wrinkling his brow. A muscled defender blocked his path, hoping to steal it. _Not so fast_, Allen thought, smirking, and in one smooth motion he dribbled the ball between his legs and pivoted, passing it to Lavi. Lavi sprinted up the court, dodging members of the other team left and right as he geared up for a pass back to Allen. Allen caught the ball and smoothly took a shot from behind the three-point line, sending the ball in a perfect arc towards the basket.

_Swish._

"Fuck, yeah!" Lavi exclaimed, raising his hand to Allen's in a high-five. "Another victory for us!"

Lenalee swayed her way up from the side, where she'd been holding up a pissed Lulubell. "Great job, Allen!" she said, smiling and wiping her brow. "How much did they bet on that game?"

"Too much." Allen smiled devilishly back. "All right, boys and girls. Time to pay up."

"What the hell?" Tyki panted as he rested his hands on his knees. "We were told you guys were a bunch of losers. How'd you school us like that?"

"You really should check your sources." Lavi cockily grinned, hands behind his head. "We've always been the shit around here. Especially with Allen's mad hops."

"Not that it really matters," Lenalee added, "Since we kicked your asses without a problem anyway." She smiled sweetly. "So where's the money?"

"Fuck this." Skinn growled at the winning team, cracking his knuckles ominously. "I'll just beat the daylights outta ya fuckin' douches 'til ya never wanna play again."

"Now, now, Skinn," Lulubell interjected, "They won fairly. We can give them their money… this time, that is." She glared at Allen. "But don't take us so lightly. We will find a way to get you back."

"Yeah, yeah," Allen laughed. "I'm sure you will." He yanked the money out of Lulubell's reluctant grasp. "Let's get out of here, guys."

"You'll be in some serious pain soon, boy!" Tyki called as they walked out past the chain-link fence. "Wait until you go up against Kanda!" Allen glanced back long enough to catch Tyki's smirking face. "It would do you good to not be so confident."

Allen stopped, considering for a second. _Kanda? Who is he talking about? Is he trying to intimidate me? "_Don't worry so much about me, Mikk." Allen called over his shoulder. "We won't be taken down that easily." He gave Tyki his best smile. Together, Lavi, Lenalee, and Allen disappeared around the corner, their basketball tucked under Lavi's elbow.

"Well, Tyki, it looks like they were just as good as the Earl said they would be." Lulubell said. "Maybe even better. We'll really have to use our full strength next time."

"I look forward to it." Tyki smiled, the corners of his mouth turning up sadistically. "Next time, we will show them the true power of Team Noah. And I will make that boy bow down to me in defeat."

Skinn popped their spare basketball between his large hands. "Can't wait."

*****

Allen and his teammates decided to celebrate their win by going out to a fast food joint with their money. Allen was scarfing down a dozen cheeseburgers, while Lavi chomped on some fries and Lenalee slurped a soda. "Well, we won another one." She said. "What would Lavi and I do if it wasn't for you, Allen?"

"Please." Allen gave her a bright smile between bites. "Both of you are amazing at basketball. Besides, it's our teamwork that really makes us the best!"

"Aw, you're so adorable, Al. But you know you're the best. 'Sides, me and Lenalee weren't serious about this whole hoops thing before you came along, ya know?" Lavi ruffled Allen's messy hair. "We couldn't even make a full team to compete. People almost always play three-on-three in games." Before Cross and Allen had moved into their neighborhood, Lavi and Lenalee hadn't been too concerned with the game; they'd just shoot around in Lenalee's driveway to pass the summer days faster. But then Allen had come up to them one day with his British accent, his signature smile, and his own ball. They'd all immediately gotten along, and from then on they had practiced nonstop and had played against other three-person teams for money. They were getting to be known in the neighborhood as a team one shouldn't mess with.

"Well, either way, I think we're getting pretty good, don't you? Maybe we should enter that tournament coming up." Allen mused. Posters had gone up around town advertising an official citywide basketball tournament. The prize was $1,500 to the winning team in each category--way more than they'd ever make betting on their games.

"I don't know, Allen, aren't there way better teams out there than us?" Lenalee said, draining the last of her soda. "We might just be better off playing smaller games for less money. I don't think we'd win anything in that tournament. And besides, didn't you hear Tyki after we won? He said something about someone really good… what was their name? Conrad? Karl?"

"Ah, don't be such a pessimist, babe. Did you forget you have me on your team?" Lavi laced his fingers behind his head. "One smile from me and half of 'em will be down for the count!"

"Only if they're hallucinating." She replied, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I think most of our opposition will be male."

"Doesn't matter, sugar. Didn't you see the way that Mikk guy was trying to grab my ass?"

"He was trying to _get the ball _from you, Lavi."

"That wasn't all he was trying to get from me, hon, believe me."

"Allen, would you please get me a refill?" Lenalee asked, her eyes narrowing. Allen, recognizing the danger signs, hurriedly jumped up with her cup and went to the soda fountain.

On the way, he started to think about the upcoming tournament. He was deep in thought when he slipped on an inconspicuous puddle of water and careened wildly. In desperation, he grabbed onto a stranger next to the fountain in an attempt to regain his balance. "What the fuck?" The owner of the arm turned suddenly, causing Allen to lose his grip and land on the floor with a "Bloody hell!" "Who the hell do you think you are, grabbing on to me like that?"

"S-Sorry." Allen got to his feet a little unsteadily. "There was a puddle on the ground, and I wasn't paying enough attention, I guess, and--"

"Shut up, loser." The man cut him off. " I don't have time to listen to the ramblings of idiots." Allen felt his eyebrow rise. _Who does this guy think he is?_ "Now fuck off and leave me alone."

"I'd be more than happy to leave, _sir_, but I have to refill this soda." Allen replied, pasting a sarcastic smile on his face. "If you'd excuse me?" He attempted to step past the man to the fountain.

"I was here first, you little brat." The stranger responded with his own sneer. "You'll just have to wait your turn." He turned to the soda fountain and proceeded to take as long as possible to fill his cup. After a few moments, Allen was fuming.

"Just move to the side, wanker! It doesn't take that much effort on your part!" Allen cried, bumping the man to the side to get to the machine. Soda spilled out of the man's glass and onto his arm. He looked outraged.

"You want to start something with me, sprout?" The man fisted his hand in Allen's shirt and fixed him with a glare.

"Yeah, I do. And watch who you're calling a sprout, you effeminate _tosser!_" Allen glared right back, clenching his free hand in anticipation for a brawl.

"You fucking little--" The man spat, setting down his glass and pulling his fist back.

"Hey, bro, what's going on over here?" A guy with a hooded jacket and a soccer ball walked up to them. "You getting into _another_ fight? Come on, I thought you wanted to eat!"

The stranger glanced between the man with the soccer ball and Allen for a second, unsure who was more worthy of his time. "Yeah, I'm coming," he muttered, releasing Allen and grabbing his drink from the counter. "Go fuck yourself, kid. And get yourself some hair dye." And with that, he walked away.

"You-!" Allen started to yell, but gave up. _I shouldn't waste my time_, he thought exasperatedly. He filled Lenalee's cup and made his way back to his booth while muttering under his breath.

"Hey, Al, why's your ass all wet?" Lavi queried, peering at him from behind as he sat down. "Did ya pi--"

"Slipped." Allen interjected. "On a puddle." He passed Lenalee her drink and tried hard not to smack Lavi. _Must not hurt a teammate, must not hurt a teammate…_

"Something wrong, Allen?" Lenalee asked.

"Nothing in particular. You know, just the usual: puddles, jerks at the soda fountain…" Allen gritted his teeth and bit into his one of his remaining burgers.

"Oh, yeah!" Lavi exclaimed. "Speaking of jerks…" He fished out his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to Allen. "Cross just called me. He said something about you being a 'worthless, ugly little fairy.' He also told me to have you call him."

Allen sighed. "I suppose I should probably call before he's so drunk he doesn't pick up."

"Isn't it only two in the afternoon?" Lenalee asked.

"Oh, you poor, naïve girl." Allen shook his head and dialed the number for Cross's cell. It rang four times before he picked up.

"Yeah?" Cross grunted into the speaker.

"You called?" Allen asked. He could smell the booze already.

"Yeah. Get your fucking self back home, boy. I found an actual use for your worthless ass."

"Oh, really. On top of all the cooking, cleaning, debt-avoiding, and illegal gambling I do for you?" Allen couldn't resist rolling his eyes.

"Ah, just get here soon, you British brat. I don't think I can stand another five minutes in this guy's company." In the background, Allen heard some loud protests from a third party before there was a "click" and the line went dead.

"Well, looks like I'm off, guys." Allen gave Lavi back his cell phone and slid reluctantly out of the booth. "See you tomorrow?"

"Ten o' clock at my place." Lenalee answered, standing up to give Allen a hug. "Try not to get arrested before then."

"I'll try." Allen smiled at her and hugged her back. "But there's no guarantee."

"See ya, Al!" Lavi called as Allen walked out of the restaurant. Allen gave them one last wave before he headed out to walk the short distance to his home.

_I have a feeling this is going to be bad._ He shuddered as he opened the front door to his and Cross's apartment. _Really, bloody bad._


	2. Brother Sport

A/N: Chapter 2 is here! :D It took a little longer than I expected, partly because of school and partly because of my new three-legged kitten! It's not completely proofread, so please feel free to point out any grammatical errors I made. The title comes from an awesome song by the band Animal Collective. The chapter's also a little longer than the last, so enjoy!

* * *

Swish

Chapter Two: Brother Sport

Allen walked through the front door of his apartment, looking around warily. _No sign of Cross_. He sighed in relief. _Maybe he's passed out in his bedroom or something._

"Boy!" A loud shout reverberated from the kitchen, making Allen wince. _I guess I should have known that was too much to hope for. _"Is that you, boy? Get in here!"

Allen carefully walked through the living room, avoiding the scattered liquor bottles and dirty dishes on the floor. "Yes, '_Master_'?" He said sarcastically, poking his head through the kitchen door.

"So this is the wonderful Allen you've been telling me about!" An unknown, kind-looking man with wild hair exclaimed from the table. "I've been just dying to meet you, dear! I've wanted to visit you and Marian for a while now, but I've been so busy with my boys, and you never seem to stay in one place… but look at me! I haven't even introduced myself!"

"Don't worry, you've already introduced yourself as a bumbling old fool." Cross said as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Sit down, boy. We have some things to discuss."

"Nonsense, Marian, nonsense! I must compensate for my bad manners!" The man stood and took Allen's hand. "Froi Tiedoll, artist. I've also been Marian's friend for a long time."

"Charmed." Allen replied, shaking Tiedoll's hand firmly. "I'm Allen Walker, but it seems as if you already know who I am."

"I do force Marian to call occasionally, even if he does hate it… Ah! Your accent! You're quite perfect in every way, my dear!" Tiedoll smiled broadly at him as he sat back down. "You're absolutely _perfect_."

"Ah— thank you?" Allen replied, a little weirded out at being called "perfect" by such an eccentric man. "So…what is there to discuss?"

"Sit down, kid. The old man here will explain everything." Cross nodded at Tiedoll. "That is, if he doesn't burst into tears halfway through."

"I did mention that I was an artist, didn't I?" Tiedoll started to talk as Allen took the chair opposite from him. "Yes, yes. I did. Well, you see, I've recently moved to the United States. I was living in France for a while with my boys, painting landscapes and such—there's such a lovely atmosphere in France, wouldn't you agree? I simply love to go outside and breathe in the fresh air there. The lavender fields are simply marvelous to paint, especially around the Provence. We were living for a while near the city of Avignon—maybe you've heard the song about it? 'Sur le pont d'Avignon…'" Tiedoll began to sing in a warbly voice.

"Could you get to the point, you old fool?" Cross slammed his hand down on the table impatiently.

"But I was just getting to the part where…" Tiedoll paused in his song long enough to protest.

"Look, boy, he opened up an art gallery in town and he needs a few employees." Cross decided to ignore the man and instead talk directly to Allen. "It's about high time you brought in a paycheck around here, so I signed you right up."

"You want me to work?" asked Allen, looking at his guardian warily. "What would I be doing?"

"Ah, I can answer that." Tiedoll inserted. "I am in need of a greeter of sorts, yes? Someone to stand by the front door and welcome guests as they come in. It shouldn't be too hard, I think. With your accent and that _visage charmant_ you have, you are quite perfect for the job, no?" Allen suddenly understood the man's slightly creepy comment earlier.

"So, you can start tomorrow." Cross waved Allen away as he poured himself some more wine. "Go do whatever it is you do. I'm done with you."

"Wait—I never agreed to this!" protested Allen. "I barely know anything about this job, and once school starts, I'll be too busy for a job between school, basketball, and Cross." He turned to Tiedoll, hoping to get a bit of sympathy from the man. "Surely, knowing him, you understand, Mr. Tiedoll. There's no way I'd have the time."

"Oh, dear." Tiedoll sighed, looking rather downcast. "I guess I understand your situation, dear. I wouldn't want you to have to sacrifice your schoolwork or your hobbies for me. Maybe I can convince one of my sons to help out more… oh, but they…" To Allen's dismay, he began to tear up. "Oh, my sons! They don't care about my art! They will barely even help out at my own gallery! I am unloved by my own family!" Tiedoll pulled his handkerchief out of his coat pocket and loudly blew his nose. "My gallery will probably fail! I am a terrible, terrible artist! I don't deserve success! OH!" He collapsed into sobs. Allen started to panic.

"I-I don't…. I really didn't…" he stammered. "Didn't mean to offend… I…I might find some time…just as a part-time thing…" Allen sighed. "I guess I could work at your gallery."

"Oh! Oh, thank you, my dear boy!" Tiedoll was suddenly beaming and grasping Allen's hand. "I knew you were a decent fellow! I will take you to the gallery right away, yes?" He pulled Allen to a stand and headed out the door. "Don't worry, Marian! I will bring Allen back before you know it!"

"Don't worry about it." Cross smirked at Allen, amused, as he was dragged out of the kitchen. "You can keep him."

*********************

Allen reeled as he got out of Tiedoll's car. _My God_, he thought. _I got suckered into working for a mental patient_. Tiedoll was a deceptively gentle man, but he drove like a lunatic, oblivious to speed limits, traffic signs, and any other vehicles that were on the road. Allen came close to losing his burgers after a particularly close call while turning left. Needless to say, he was not looking forward to the ride back. He clutched his stomach and held back a groan at the thought. Seemingly ignorant of Allen's distress, Tiedoll patted him amiably on the back as they walked up the sidewalk towards the white façade of the gallery.

"Well, here it is, dear. It's not much, but it's mine, no?" Tiedoll said, holding one of the plain-looking double doors open for Allen to enter first.

Cool air enveloped Allen as soon as he entered the building. The first thing that met his gaze was a large, handsome wooden desk that stood several yards from him. Beyond it he could see the beginning of what looked like the gallery. Looking up, he saw sunlight filtering in through several large skylights on the tall ceiling. His footsteps echoed off of the clean white walls as he took a few steps past the desk, glancing down to see his reflection in the polished surface of the floor. The whole gallery gave off a feeling of sacredness and freshness, leaving Allen in a sort of awe.

"Take a look around, Allen." Tiedoll said cheerfully, walking up and gesturing widely with his arms. "Tell me what you think." Allen was only too happy to comply.

He slowly walked into the entrance of the gallery, peering around carefully. Here there were soft fluorescent lamps that hung elegantly from the ceiling. The floor was wooden and lacquered, and white walls protruded here and there, displaying Tiedoll's art. Allen took a look at the different paintings, curious but not really expecting to find much to hold his interest.

He found basketball.

Allen was stunned to see that the gallery was filled with the sport. He regarded each painting in turn, marveling at the subjects. A lone basketball rolling across an empty court. Two uniformed athletes, clashing against each other in a comical attempt for the ball. Street basketball too—tough clothes, graffitied walls. Three men shooting hoops and covered in sweat: a bald, big man, a tall man with a shock of white hair, and a lithe young man with long hair. A few abstract portraits of objects: the ball, the hoop, a player's hands. Allen gaped at the sheer amount of basketball surrounding him. _This is…this is…Hell_, Allen thought, _this is bloody brilliant_.

"I thought you might like this gallery." Tiedoll quietly stated, walking up behind Allen. "You mentioned something about basketball at Marian's. I'm wasn't much of a fan myself until my boys started to play—you can see them here." He pointed at the big bald man and the smaller one with the long hair in a painting. "And their friend here." He pointed to the remaining man with the white hair. "I must say they have made me rather enamored with the sport. There is such a beauty to it, no? My other boy plays soccer, but I just haven't found the art in it that I have found in basketball."

"I…think I understand what you're saying." replied Allen, a little amazed. He had never been very interested in art before, but these paintings made him feel something that he couldn't quite describe. They captured what he felt on the court: the anticipation, the adrenalin, the ecstasy of winning and the misery of losing. Being surrounded by these paintings almost made him feel like he was on the court; he could almost smell the sweat and latex.

"Father." A low, soft voice broke the understanding silence that had filled the room. Allen turned and was greeted with a broad chest and a kind, small smile. _One of Tiedoll's sons. _Allen realized as he gazed up at the man's bald head. _He plays basketball too._

"Ah, Noise, my boy!" Tiedoll hugged the big man and smiled. "How nice to see you here!" He stepped back. "This is Allen, my new employee. Allen, this is my adopted son, Noise Marie."

"Please," Noise said as he shook Allen's hand, "Call me Marie."

"A pleasure." Allen smiled. "I see you were the subject of your father's paintings more than once."

"Yes, so he's told me." Marie replied, looking off into the distance. "I wish I could see them. From what I'm told, my father is a very talented artist." Allen looked at Marie, confused.

"Marie has been blind since birth." Tiedoll explained, smiling gently at Allen's expression. "It's sometimes a little hard to tell since he moves around with such ease. He has developed exceptional hearing, having had to rely on it so much, and he uses that almost as effectively as one uses his eyes."

"But you play basketball, right?" Allen couldn't hold back his curiosity. "How do you manage to play?"

"It's actually not as hard as you'd think." Marie smiled tolerantly. "I can judge where the ball is by the sound of the ball dribbling, and where the other players are by their footsteps and their breathing. I've been around my teammates so much that I can pick them out from my opponents by their footsteps." He scratched the back of his head. "The hardest part is shooting. I usually have to feel my way around the court and the hoops ahead of time to be able to judge the distance. Listening to other people's shots also helps. But I'm really better at defense than offense."

Allen was impressed. "That's really brilliant! I play too, and there's no way I'd ever be able to make anything with my eyes closed."

"You'd get used to it." Marie reached out and gently pushed his shoulder. "You play, huh? Maybe we could play a little one-on-one sometime. I have to warn you, I'm pretty decent." He smirked a little and waggled his eyebrows.

"Sounds fun," Allen replied, "But don't think that I'll take it easy on you just because you can't see."

"Wouldn't have a bit of it." Marie smiled. "And I'll try not to take it easy on you just because you're so short."

"Hey!" Allen protested, realizing that the push to his shoulder had been a way of judging his height. Then he saw Marie's kind smile and chuckled. He was beginning to like him. "I guess we'll just have to see, huh?"

"Ah, it makes me so happy to see you two getting along!" Tiedoll exclaimed, clasping both their shoulders. "Ah, but I must pull you away for a minute, Noise. Can we talk over in the back office?" He started to walk over to a door toward the back of the gallery. "I'm sorry, Allen, but it won't be long. You can continue to look around if you wish until we're done."

"I'll talk to you later, Allen." Marie called over his shoulder as he followed his father. "You better be ready for our game."

Allen smiled and nodded, then realized that Marie couldn't see him do so. "You bet," he said as Marie entered the office. Marie raised his hand in farewell and closed the door behind them.

Allen took another look at the painting of Marie and his teammates, curious again now that he knew one of the players in it. Something about the man with the long hair in the painting drew his interest. _He almost looks like that bloke at the restaurant_, he thought, then shook his head. _But there's no way that someone that unpleasant could be in the same family as Tiedoll or Marie. _As he was regarding the picture, the front door to the gallery squeaked. A few seconds later, footsteps echoed in the front lobby. Allen looked away and started to walk towards the front of the building, intending to greet the unknown visitor.

"Old man!" A male voice shouted, making Allen jump. "Where are you?"

"Ah, if you're referring to Mr. Tiedoll, sir, he's in the back--" Allen started to walk towards the voice, but stopped suddenly as he almost ran into the visitor. The person had long, black hair that was swept up in a high ponytail, and long bangs that framed his narrow, dark eyes. He was scowling at Allen when he brought his hand out of his zippered leather jacket and poked him between the eyes.

"Bean sprout." He said, just as Allen frowned and exclaimed, "You're that jerk from the restaurant!"

"My name is Yu Kanda, dork." The man said, glaring at Allen. "But you better only call me Kanda. Don't fuck it up."

Allen had to fight the urge to retort. If he was anything, he was polite, and he figured even the most arrogant of arseholes deserved second chances. He forced a smile onto his face. "If you don't mind me asking, what business do you have with Mr. Tiedoll?" He asked.

"Tch. Since when the hell do I need to have a reason to see my…legal guardian?" Kanda mumbled the last part, seemingly reluctant to admit a relationship with Tiedoll. "It's none of your business, brat. Just tell me where he is and get out of my way."

"Wait… you're his son?" Allen didn't want to believe what he was hearing. "So… you're the guy over there in that painting? You play basketball with Marie?"

Kanda rolled his eyes and confirmed Allen's fears. "Dumb brat. Of course it's me. I'm only like _insanely talented_ at basketball, unlike you." He scowled even harder, if possible. "Wait… how do you know Marie? Actually, what the fuck are you doing here in the first place?"

"I'm a new employee here." Allen enjoyed telling Kanda this, since he knew it would annoy him. "I'm going to be here _all the time_. And for your information, I could easily wipe the floor with someone as girly-looking as you."

Kanda gave him the scariest glare Allen had ever received in his life. "You are so going to get it, you wimpy little bean sprout. There's no way I'm going to let you go without a beating twice."

"I'd love you to try." Allen smirked. "Why don't we settle this with a little tournament?"

"What the fuck kind of tournament?"

"Basketball, stupid. Since you think you're so hot at it, there's no way you could lose, right?" Allen's smirk widened. He never made propositions he thought he could lose.

"Tch. Against you? I could beat you if I had to hop on one leg." Kanda seemed confident. He tossed his hair and took a step forward.

"Then it's on." Allen took also stepped up so that they were inches away. _I'm only a couple inches shorter than him. _He thought, a little annoyed at his "bean sprout" nickname. Kanda smirked at him as though he could read his thoughts. _Smarmy bastard,_ Allen grumbled in his head. _He thinks he's so great. Wait until I cream him_. Before he knew it, he was glaring at Kanda. Kanda glared right back. _Stupid girly man with his long hair and stupid jacket…_

"Allen? Yu?" Tiedoll walked out of the office with Marie and was now staring at the both of them. "Is everything all right?" Allen immediately stepped back from Kanda, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught staring so childishly. Kanda did the same, looking away and scratching the back of his head. Marie smiled like he could hear what was going on.

"Come on, Kanda." He stepped forward, patting Kanda on the shoulder. "It's almost time for our practice."

"Tch." Kanda walked with him to the front door. "I guess I'll talk to you later, old man." As he passed the desk, he turned and glared at Allen. "The next time we meet, it's war, kid." He raised his index and middle fingers, pointing them first at his own eyes and then at Allen. He then left the building without a second glance back.

"Well, you two seem to get along nicely, don't you think?" Tiedoll beamed at Allen. "Would you like to get your uniform now?"

Allen followed him to the back room, his mind still on Kanda. Something about his name bugged him. _Kanda… Kanda…_ He pondered. _Where have I heard that name before?_ He accepted the black pants and polo without comment. _Well, it doesn't matter. I'll show him what a wanker he is once we play some basketball. I'll kick his arse so hard he won't be able to walk for a week._

*****************

"What was that name?" Lenalee pondered. "Kameron? Kahn? Kain? Carrie?" She repeated the "k" sound over and over, trying to think of more names.

"What does it matter, Lenalee? It was just Mikk sayin' stuff to spook us a little." Lavi reclined on the Lee's couch, where the two were playing video games. "Come on, you can pick the arena this time."

"I got it! Kamal!" Lenalee snapped her fingers as she selected a random stage. Lavi just rolled his eyes and proceeded to button mash. "It doesn't matter…" He mumbled under his breath.

"I just want to know who is so good at basketball that Tyki would mention him to us." Lenalee grabbed a bat and smacked Lavi off of the stage. Lavi swore.

"Well, if he's really that good, I'm sure we'll run into him sooner or later." Lavi picked up a ray gun, smirking as he shot at Lenalee. "Knowing Allen, it'll most likely be sooner."

* * *

A/N (another one): Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate feedback of any kind, so please feel free to review--even if you don't really like it. I really appreciate all of the reviews I've gotten so far! I've gotten far more than I thought I would! :D


	3. Handshakes

**EDIT: So I was in a rush to get the chapter uploaded, and I didn't read it over before posting. Apparently, the computer thought I wanted the second half of the story to be one big ol' block of text! rawr. It should be fixed now, so sorry for the confusion and the eyestrain. Thanks for putting up with me--I really should have checked it... OTL**

A/N: Sorry for the super late update! My computer got infected with some trojans and now Firefox pretty much hates me. I have no idea where I got it from, so I'm trying to be really careful with the sites I go on. Updates might be few and far between… I will see if my dad will work on it, but it'll probably take a lot of convincing. He really hates computers. So if you know of/have a great antivirus program, totally let me know!

Also, I have realized that I have neglected to put a disclaimer in this story, so here it is: I do not own D. Gray-Man or any of the characters, trademarks, etc. associated with the franchise. I have no money, so please don't sue me.

Oh, yeah, and the French in here? I'm sure it makes no sense, so just pretend it means something really cool.

The title of this chapter is also a song by the band Metric.

* * *

Chapter Three

Handshakes

"And _then_ he had the nerve to do that finger thing to me!" Allen demonstrated by taking his index and middle fingers, pointing to his eyes, and pointing at Lavi's face. It had been a day since Allen had run into Kanda at the art gallery, and he was recounting the story for his friend. Lavi laughed at Allen as the boy heaved an exasperated sigh. "Thank God he left after that, otherwise I would've torn his hair out or something."

"Sounds like you made a new best friend, huh?" Lavi smirked at the cross look Allen gave him. "Ah, you know he only teases you to watch you get steamed. You're such a cutie when you're mad!" He reclined on the sofa they were sitting on, lacing his hands behind his head in a relaxed way. Allen rolled his eyes at Lavi's comment.

"When's Lenalee going to get here?" he asked, stretching out and putting his feet on Lavi's legs. They had been hanging out with the Lenalee when her brother had reminded her of her violin lesson today. She had instructed the boys to "sit right here on the couch and don't touch anything valuable" before rushing out the door with Komui. Lavi shrugged.

"Whenever she's done with her lesson," he yawned as he spoke.

"I knew that, Lavi," Allen closed his eyes. "I was hoping you could give me some sort of time frame. I'm getting hungry." His stomach made a ridiculously loud growling sound.

Right on cue, the front door of the Lee's apartment clicked open. Lenalee stepped in with her brother and set her instrument case down carefully before doing a little twirl in her skirt. Spreading her arms wide, she grinned at the two boys on her couch.

"Announcing the brilliant, talented, mature, and drop-dead _gorgeous_ violin virtuoso: Lenalee Lee!" she proclaimed. Komui clapped enthusiastically as the girl made several dramatic bows. Lavi and Allen exchanged a .

"_Brava, Brava_!" Komui shouted as he finished his applause. "You made me very proud today, my darling Lenalee! Your octaves and trills were most impressive!" They could hear Komui start to skip down the hall to the kitchen, humming a Suddenly, he poked his head around the corner to look at the boys. "Oh, it's nice to see you, Lavi and Allen. Will you be staying for dinner? I was going to try my hand at some mu shu pork!"

"Ah, perhaps it would be best to let Jerry cook tonight, brother," Lenalee replied, referring to the Lee's next-door neighbor who often came over to cook and talk with Komui. It was a well-known fact that Komui's cooking skills left something to be desired. Allen enthusiastically nodded in agreement.

"Yes, please let Jerry come over!" Allen sighed from his place on the couch and rubbed his stomach. "It's been such a long time since I've eaten his delicious food!"

"He cooked for us two days ago, Allen," Lavi replied, looking at him with amusement. "And if I remember correctly, you pretty much cleared out his refrigerator." Allen pouted as Lenalee giggled. Komui shook his head in amusement and went to find the phone to call Jerry.

"I can't help it if I'm a growing boy," he grumbled, taking his feet off of Lavi's lap and sending a pointed glare in his direction. "Besides, you ate quite a lot too, if my memory is to be trusted."

"Oh, stop complaining, Allen!" Lenalee walked over and flopped in between the two boys, slinging an arm around each. "Jerry likes your appetite. He calls it one of the greatest compliments a chef can receive."

"What about all the belching he does?" Lavi laughed, reaching over and poking Allen in the stomach playfully. "Isn't that a considered a compliment too?"

"Lavi!" Allen blushed a little in embarrassment. "I can't help it! I always burp a little when I eat!"

"A _little_? It's more like a jet engine going overhead! _Buuuuuurrrrrrrrrrr_…." Lavi put his hands on his stomach and pretended to burp like a slob. Lenalee snickered as Allen scowled.

"You are so going to get it, you wanker!" he cried, jumping over Lenalee and onto Lavi. He started pummeling him in the abdomen, only half serious.

"Uh oh, you're gonna make me burp some more!" Lavi laughed and continued to make belching noises. "_Bruuuuuu…burrrrruuuuu_…" Lavi made a ridiculous, cross-eyed face. They were all giggling when there was a knock on the front door.

"Jerry!" Allen shouted, forgetting about hurting Lavi and jumping to open the door. "You're here!"

"Allen!" Jerry cried as he came in, his arms weighed down with bags of groceries. He set them down on the floor long enough to give the boy a bone-crushing hug. "I got just the food for you tonight, oh boy! Are you ready for some fried chicken?" Allen and Lavi cheered as Komui came into the living room, smiling happily as he gave Jerry a hug.

"Ah, it's so nice to be appreciated by you folks!" Jerry said after he let go of Komui. "Y'all make cooking a de-_light_!" he rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Now who's ready for some grub?"

************

An hour later, the entire group had sat down at the dining room table, which was loaded down with different dishes. There was fried chicken, as Jerry had promised before, and there was also potato salad, sweet corn, fruit salad, various Chinese dishes, and apple pie for dessert. Jerry had even taken pains to make Allen his much-cherished mitarashi dango.

"I have no idea why you're so addicted to those things, Allen," Lavi commented as he watched the albino chow three dango sticks at once. "It's kind of weird, considering you're British and all."

"So what?" Allen said between bites, pointing at Lavi's plate. "You're eating Chinese food, and you're American. Am I only allowed to eat British foods or something?"

"Nah, I was just wondering how you got to like dango so much. They're not really common around here, ya know?"

"Well, I had to visit Japan with Cross a few years ago," Allen swallowed thickly and reached for the fried tofu balls. "With him and his stupid schemes, dango was one of the only things that kept me sane."

"Was it really that bad?" Lenalee asked as she bit into some chicken. "Cross doesn't seem that bad to me. He's actually pretty funny sometimes." She smiled dreamily.

Komui looked up at his sister at this comment. "_Funny_, eh?" he said, narrowing his eyes and staring menacingly. Lenalee realized the potential danger and decided to change the subject. "So, Allen, what did Cross want with you today?" she quickly asked. "It was kind of strange how he just called you like that."

"Oh, that!" Allen had completely forgotten about telling Lenalee about his time at the art gallery yesterday. "You'll never believe what happened. I have a job now!"

"What?" exclaimed Komui, a little surprised. "Cross made you get a job? It's not anything illegal, is it?"

"Oh, no!" Allen said. "It's actually pretty cool. I work at an art gallery that's run by an old comrade of Cross's. His name is Froi Tiedoll. Do you know him, Komui?"

"I've met him a few times. A very emotional man, isn't he? But he's an extraordinary artist. He has a son or two near Lavi's age, I think." Komui frowned in thought.

"Yeah, I met him. He's a huge jerk." Allen sighed. "Well, Marie's really nice, actually, but Kanda--"

_Thunk_. Lenalee's hands slammed the table as she choked on her potato salad. She coughed and coughed until she could breathe enough to speak. "KANDA!" She finally yelled, pointing at Lavi. "IT WAS KANDA!"

"Uh… what the hell?" Lavi stared at the accusatory finger. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Are you dense?" she stood up, reaching across the table and shaking Lavi's head. "That guy Tyki mentioned to us after we kicked his ass! His name was Kanda!"

"He does play basketball," Allen said in realization.

"Then it has to be the same guy!" she shouted ecstatically. "But how do you know he plays basketball? Did he tell you?"

. "Actually, he kind of challenged me to a one-on-one game." Allen swallowed.

"Are you_ serious_?" Lenalee stared at him, her hands tightening in Lavi's hair. Lavi winced. "He challenged you to a _game_?"

"Come on, Lenalee," Allen replied. "Mikk was just angry that he lost. Besides, the guy didn't seem like he could walk and chew gum at the same time, let alone shoot a basketball. I'll be fine."

"Still," she said, releasing Lavi and sitting back down, "I have to go along to this match. There's no way I'm going to let you go alone to that, just in case..." She started to pick at her nails nervously.

Lavi rubbed his head in pain. "Shit, Lenalee, you really pulled hard." He looked carefully at the boy next to him. "Allen, maybe we should come along. You never know. If he's actually good, you might need some backup, yeah?" There was silence as the three teens looked at each other in worry.

"Well, we don't wanna let this pie go to waste, do we?" Jerry exclaimed. "Who wants a slice?" The silence was broken as everyone put their plates out eagerly, but Allen caught Lenalee's anxious sidelong stare. _I'll be fine_, he assured himself. _There's no way a jerk like him could even touch me… I think_. Even so, there was a strange pit in his stomach as he as he devoured his huge slice of pie.

***************

The next day greeted Allen with a loud bang as Cross kicked open his bedroom door. "Urgh…" Allen mumbled, raising his hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "Whadd'ya wan wi'me?" Timcampy, his fat golden cat, mewled in agreement from his place by Allen's feet.

"Up, up! Lazy little sloth!" Cross tapped him none too lightly on the knee with a hammer. "You have to go to that job and bring me home a paycheck!"

"Bloody Hell!" Allen jumped out of bed and glared at his guardian. "What are you doing with a hammer in my room?!"

"I'm going to do some…'home renovations'," Cross gave Allen a scary grin. "Now get ready. And you better _never_ wear that thing again. You look like a fucking man-whore."

Allen sputtered for a second, looking down at his pajamas. His shirt was a little short, sure, but it showed off his nice abs! He swore to himself and started digging around in his closet for his uniform. He had forgotten that he had work in the morning.

"Allen!" Lavi burst through his bedroom door, slamming it shut and panting against it. "Why does Cross have a hammer? And why does he insist on using it as a weapon?" he paused, looking at Allen's outfit. "Whoa, baby. I didn't know you were into chick clothes."

"They're pajamas! They're not _chick clothes_!" Allen crossed his arms. "And why the hell are you in my house?"

"I thought you might like a ride to work!" Lavi grinned. "Actually, Cross thought that I should give you a ride to work instead of him. And that's a girl's midriff shirt if I ever saw one."

Allen didn't even try to argue. "Get out," he pointed. "I need to get dressed."

"And go back out with that crazy dude? No way," he said as he flopped down on the bed. Timcampy hissed menacingly at him. "Okay, okay, kitty!" Lavi held out his hands in surrender and sat on the floor. Allen glared at him, and then stalked to the bathroom with his uniform.

"Then I'm going to take a shower," he called. "_Please_ don't touch anything."

"You better hurry up!" Lavi was already digging in his nightstand drawer. "You only got, like, 20 minutes!"

Allen stripped and turned the water on hot before stepping into the shower. _Ahhh…_he could feel all of his muscles slowly relax under the heat. _What a horrible way to start the morning,_ he thought. _Stupid Cross and Lavi. At least work will be better than being around them._ He smiled contentedly before he remembered Kanda. _Stupid bastard. He'll probably be at work today just to annoy me. Then he'll challenge me again and I'll have to play against him. _He started to grind his teeth as he thought. He finished up with his shower, got dressed, and left the bathroom, feeling even less relaxed than when he entered.

"Allen!" Lavi was waiting just outside the bathroom door. "Hurry up! The Lavi Taxi is leaving in five minutes!"

"Shut up!" Allen shouted at him as he rummaged in his closet for his pair of black sneakers.

"Hey, ya seem a little tense there, Allen. Didn't ya take care of that in the shower?"

A shoe hurled itself at Lavi from the bedroom.

"You better not have scratched the walls with that, boy!" Cross shouted from the kitchen. Rhythmic bangs of his hammer could be heard, along with a few choice curses.

Allen emerged from his bedroom, his hair a little messed up from his search. He ran to the kitchen, shoes in hand, and grabbed a Pop-Tart before heading out. "Bye, Timcampy!" He called as he slammed the door. A second later, he opened it again. "Lavi! Get your arse out here right now!"

"Coming!" Lavi appeared from the bedroom. "Ya know, I couldn't find your stash of porno mags anywhere. Are they under the--"

_Slam._

**************

"Geez, Allen, no need to get so mad," Lavi scratched his head as he drove them both to Tiedoll's gallery in his beater. "You know, I'm being nice here by driving you to work and all."

Allen said nothing as he attempted to put on his shoes in the moving car. Being _nice_, in his opinion, did not include insulting his wardrobe or going through his personal items.

"Aw, don't ignore, me, bud!" Lavi reached over and ruffled Allen's already-mussed hair. "You know I love ya!" Allen gave him a steely glare before turning to the dirty window.

"Fine. Be that way," Lavi sniffed. "I can give a cold shoulder too, you know." There was silence in the car for a few seconds as Lavi clamped his mouth shut. Allen rolled his eyes as he watched the scenery go by. _5…4…3…2…1…_

"I can't stand it anymore!" Lavi burst out. "Please, Allen, babe, talk to me! I can't go through the rest of my life like this!"

"Oh, just shut up already," Allen rolled his eyes, but smiled at Lavi. "I'll guess I'll forgive you … but only if you bring me some lunch at work."

"Sure thing!" smiled Lavi, back to his cheerful self. "I'll get all of your favorites!" He pulled up to the curb, putting the car in park and waving. "See ya! Have a great time!" he said as Allen jumped out of the car. He watched as the car sputtered back into traffic, then walked through the front doors of the gallery.

"Welcome to _La Mer de Verre_!" Tiedoll greeted him from the desk. "Oh, it's my dear Allen! What brings you here so early in the morning?" he tapped his forehead with a pencil as he thought. "Oh, yes! Work! Silly me! You are in your lovely uniform, yes? Good! Let us begin!" he stood and clapped his hands. "You are to sit here and greet people as they come in. Answer any questions they have and tell them a bit about the gallery. Here are some information sheets you can give, and if you have a problem, you may ask me, okay? I will be in this room painting." Tiedoll pointed to a discreet door to the left of the entrance. "You may use the computer there if you wish! _Au revoir!_"

"Wait!" said Allen. "What did you just say? The French part?" "_Au revoir_?"

Tiedoll frowned. "This is a very common phrase, even in _anglais_, non?"

"Ah, no! I meant the first bit. 'Welcome to…'" Allen scratched his neck.

"Oh, _La Mer de Verre_!" Tiedoll smiled. "This is the name of this place, yes? It means "the sea of glass," in a literal sense. A sea made of glass," he sighed. "Romantic, no?"

"S-sure," Allen smiled. Inwardly, he thought that Tiedoll had a rather strange sense of romanticism.

"Okay, then! I'm off to paint," said Tiedoll as he walked through the side door. "Please ask for help if you need it!" The door shut with a loud _click_, and Allen was alone in the gallery. He sat down at the desk, booting up the computer that sat there for something to do. _I guess this is it,_ he thought. _I just have to sit here for six more hours._ Several hours passed by rather slowly at the gallery. Allen greeted the occasional visitors, but for the most part there weren't that many people in the gallery. Tiedoll came out to the desk from time to time to chat with the guests and with Allen, but for the most part Allen had only the computer to keep him company. The first big break in the monotony came around eleven in the morning.

"Pops!" The front door was thrown open as the shout reverberated in the quiet gallery, making Allen jump. "Where are you, man? Hey, who are _you_?" A shorter young man with bandages around his head came up to the desk and looked at Allen strangely. Allen stared awkwardly back.

"I'm Tiedoll's new employee," Allen frowned a little at the man's rudeness. "Who are _you_?"

"Daisya," he said, sticking out a filthy hand for Allen to shake. "I'm the old man's son. You don't know where he is, do ya?"

"In the door to your right," Allen motioned. He decided to ignore the outstretched hand.

"Thanks!" Daisya was already halfway to the side door. Allen shook his head at the guy, a little bemused. _There goes another one of Tiedoll's sons_, he thought. Silence returned to the gallery again. Allen started to relax, but jumped as the front door banged open again.

"Daisya!" a familiar voice shouted. "Hurry the fuck up! I'm not going to wait forever to drive you!" Kanda ran his hands through his bangs and closed his eyes, looking a little worn. He didn't notice Allen at first, who could only stare at him in surprise. Then Kanda looked up at him. "So you really are working here, brat," he said. "I wouldn't think anyone would hire someone with such a bad temper."

"Oh, just be quiet," Allen frowned and turned to the computer. "It was nice and peaceful in here before you came in." Kanda snorted at him, but didn't say anything more. Allen clicked the mouse halfheartedly, trying to look busy.

"So where's my idiot brother gone to?" Kanda said after a few moments of silence. Allen pointed at the side door. Kanda sighed at the lack of verbal response and, after a few moments, walked quickly up to the desk and leaned against it. Allen glanced at him, but decided not to say anything. Kanda scowled silently off into the distance for a minute before glancing at Allen. "I was serious, you know," Kanda muttered. "About the one-on-one. I'll kick your ass anytime."

Allen smirked. "Don't be so confident. You might be surprised at how good I am." After a pause, he said, "I get off of work at three. We could meet at the courts in Weismann Park, if you wanted."

Kanda clicked his tongue. "Fine. It's time someone put you in your place, you little wimp."

Allen rolled his eyes and smacked Kanda on the head without looking at him."Oh, yeah? _I _think it's about time for someone to show you what a jerk you are." Kanda glared at him and punched him in the shoulder. Allen smirked and yanked Kanda's hair. "You know what else it's about time for? You to get a haircut."

"Don't touch my hair, sprout," Kanda dug his fingernails into Allen's hand.

"I know!" Allen grinned. "Why don't we play for something? If you win, you can dye my hair pink or something." His smile widened. "But if I win, I'm going to cut off all that pretty hair of yours."

"If I win, I'd rather shave you bald," Kanda said. "Then it's a deal. Whoever loses has to cut all of their hair off."

"You both should value the hair you have," a new voice echoed in the gallery. "Shaving your head can be a huge mistake. I should know."

"Marie!" Allen turned to the muscled man with a big smile on his face. "When did you get here?"

"I snuck in the front when you guys were bickering," Marie said. "So you guys are going to battle it out on the court, hm? What did Allen ever do to you, Kanda?"

"He's a brat," Kanda frowned, "and he has ugly hair and a weird scar."

"Please!" Allen waved him off. "You're the one with ugly hair!" He decided not to bring up the scar, since it made him a bit self-conscious. He rubbed it absentmindedly.

"Anyway, if Daisya doesn't get out here soon he's going to be late for his appointment," Marie said, frowning at Kanda.

"Where does he have to go?" Allen looked at Marie.

"The hospital. He got a pretty bad head injury in his last soccer game," he replied. "He had a concussion and he needed some stitches. He's okay now, but he was down for a few days. They just need to take the stitches out now."

"Yeah, he's got his head wrapped up like some kind of mummy," Kanda smirked. "Didn't you notice?"

"Of course I noticed, dummy," Allen said as Daisya came out of the side room.

"Noticed what?" Daisya looked around at his brothers. "Hey, what's with the party in here?"

"We're waiting for you, idiot," Kanda grumbled. "Come on. We're going. And you. Three o' clock at Weismann Park. I'll be waiting to school you."

"Awesome! Looks like we're having a ballin' party in here!" Lavi chose the perfect moment to walk in the door, fast food in hand. He stopped suddenly and stared at Kanda, his mouth a perfect "O". "Holy balls! Is that you, Yu?"

"Fucking Hell, rabbit," Kanda replied, glaring at Lavi as if his life depended on it. "Don't call me that."

"You KNOW him?" Allen could not have been more shocked. "But… how…"

"We used to be next-door neighbors!" Lavi grinned. "We were like eight or something. Then Yu moved. Oh, the puns!" Lavi giggled to himself. "I only really remember Yu as the dork next door with a pronoun for a name. Actually, that's how I got started playing basketball. Yu and I would play together to pass the time!" Lavi laughed harder. "Yu and I…"

"My. Name. Is. Kanda," Kanda stepped forward, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, I knew it was something like that," Lavi waved his hands in dismissal. "It's not awesome like 'Yu', so I always forget it. But anyway, you're the one who challenged Allen to a b-ball battle? So hardcore!"

"So lame!" Daisya rolled his eyes. "Basketball is so overrated. I don't know why so many people think it's awesome, because it's clearly not nearly as cool as soccer."

"No way!" Lavi and Allen shouted, the former dropping his bags of food in shock. Kanda rolled his eyes.

"I don't have time for this stupid reunion," he said, grabbing Daisya by the elbow and dragging him towards the door. "We're leaving."

"Hold on!" Lavi shouted, spreading his arms wide to ban the exit. "If you're really going to play him, I want to be there too. Lenalee too," he added.

"I think that's a good idea," Marie said, nodding to Lavi. "I'll bring Krory too."

"Hey, if there's gonna be something going down, I'll be there too!" Daisya crossed his arms. "Though basketball still sucks."

"Fine," Kanda said. "Organize as big of a fucking party you want. The more people, the more humiliation for the sprout." He started to push Lavi out of the way.

"Wait!" Allen jumped up and ran around his desk to Kanda. "Shake on it," he said, thrusting his left hand out.

"What?" Kanda eyed him strangely. "What for?"

"Everything. The game, the deal, the people. I want to make this official," Allen replied, continuing to hold his hand out. "I'm going to be serious when I play you, and I'm going to go until I win or I go unconscious. I want the same from you." Kanda stared at his discolored left hand for a few seconds before smirking and shaking it.

"Stupid brat. I wouldn't have it any other way," he said as he looked at Allen. "You better try your hardest, or I'll beat you senseless."

"Right back at you," Allen replied, smirking himself. "Of course, I'll beat you senseless anyway, since there's no way I'm going to lose."

Kanda turned his back on Allen, resuming his hold on his brother. "We'll see, sprout," he said, swaggering up to the door and shoving it open. "Come on, Marie. Let's get going." Marie nodded and followed his siblings out the door. Lavi and Allen watched as the three brothers walked out into the midday sunlight.

Lavi turned to Allen, giving him a sly smile. "It looks like we're going to have some fun today," he said as he grabbed his discarded lunches. "We better get eating!"

* * *

A/N: I decided that Lenalee plays the violin because I do! *happy dance* The next chapter will have the battle between Kanda and Allen! So be prepared! :D Thanks for reading, and please leave me a review if you have the time!


	4. Fire It Up

A/N: Wow. Sorry this is so late, but I had to completely restore my computer. Everything seems to be okay now, so chapters might start coming out more regularly…Anyway, this chapter was both fun and challenging to write, since I don't live in a place where a lot of basketball is played (aka a small, cold, drunk town). I spent a lot of time reading stuff up on Wikipedia for the action-y parts of this chapter. I'm sure it sounds pretty ridiculous to anyone who's actually played a lot of basketball, but whatever. :D It's all in good fun, right? Right…

The title of this chapter is from the song "Fire It Up" by Modest Mouse.

Oh, and I don't own D. Gray-Man.

* * *

Chapter 4

Fire It Up

The hot afternoon sun beat down on Allen's head as he slowly dribbled the basketball on the blacktop. _Boing. Boing. Boing._ He took the ball in his hands, making a relaxed free throw. The ball slipped through the net with hardly a sound. _Swish_. The ball slowly bounced off to the side of the court, but Allen made no move to retrieve it. Instead, he looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. The back of his neck was starting to sunburn. _Stupid pale complexion_, he thought absentmindedly.

"Allen!" Lenalee called from down the sidewalk. She came jogging up to the court with a backpack and a blue plastic water bottle. "Here! You'll want this. It's pretty warm out, don't you think? Are you sure you want to be doing this right now?" She handed him the bottle, looking a little worried.

"It's August, Lenalee," Allen smiled at her as he took a sip of water. "It's going to be warm outside."

"Yes, well…" she chewed her lip. "Maybe we could just delay the game until sunset. It might cool down a bit then. I mean, this court's like one big frying pan." She gestured at the blacktop, where heat waves were shimmering their way up to the sky above.

"It'll be fine, okay?" said Allen. "Although I might need a little sunscreen if I don't want to look like a cooked lobster by the end of this game."

"Oh! I have some," Lenalee replied, digging in her backpack and producing a green bottle. Allen noticed that her bag seemed to be stuffed to bursting with stuff. He shook his head at Lenalee as she handed him the sunscreen. _I wonder what she has shoved in that bag? _he wondered, and then smirked as he thought of a plan. Maybe a little charm could get her to talk…

"You're so kind to bring sunscreen for me, Lenalee," he smiled ridiculously widely and moved towards her until they were inches apart. "Thank you _so_ much." He wrapped one arm around her and held her tight as he carefully reached for the backpack with his other hand. _Almost there…_

"Allen!" Lenalee shoved him away, clutching her bag fiercely. "I knew you were up to something!"

"What?" he laughed, reaching for the bag. "Come on, Lenalee, I just want to know what's taking up so much room in there."

"Well, I'm not telling you after that stunt you just pulled. You nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought you were reaching for my ass or something!"

"Come on, Lenalee, just tell me what's in there. I promise I won't laugh."

"If you must know, and you could have _asked _me to see it, you idiot boy," Lenalee sniffed, "it's first aid equipment."

"First—Lenalee," Allen sighed, "I'm not going to die playing one basketball game."

"Well, Kanda's supposed to be really good!" she replied, hugging her bag tighter. "And you seem to be so serious and I just…I don't want to see you get hurt over some stupid jerk, okay?" She looked away from Allen, frowning.

"Lenalee…" Allen stepped forward, hugging her with genuine affection. "That's really sweet of you to worry about me like that. I really appreciate it, I do. But you've got to trust me a little more than that," he smiled. "I can do this, okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled as she squeezed him back, "but promise that you won't keep playing if you get badly hurt."

"I promise," Allen replied, pulling back and grinning. "Feel better?"

"Idiot," she scowled half-jokingly. "You're an idiot and you're going to do something stupid."

"Well, that's what us idiots are best at!" he playfully punched her on the shoulder before jogging over to the abandoned basketball. "Here, help me warm up before Kanda shows up."

"Okay, but let's not work too hard. It's hot out here."

They spent the next few minutes in amiable silence, taking turns shooting baskets. It was relatively quiet in the neighborhood, magnifying the _boing_ and _thump_ of the basketball and their breathing. A loud bus suddenly passed by, breaking Allen's concentration as he focused on a three-point shot. _Thump_. The ball hit the backboard and bounced away, not even touching the hoop. Allen swore.

"Hey, you're really challenging this guy, bro? He doesn't seem that good," a familiar voice commented. Allen turned to see Daisya grinning at him from the entrance to the court. Next to him stood his two brothers-- Marie with a water bottle and towel in his hands, and Kanda with a black basketball tucked under one elbow and a scowl.

"Right back at you, Daisya," Allen smiled. "I'd love to see you try to make a basket from here."

"Oh, is that a challenge, Snow White?" Daisya swaggered up to Allen. "Hey, baby, grab that basketball for me." He looked at Lenalee expectantly.

"Excuse me?" she raised one eyebrow. "I have a name, you know."

"Oh, sorry. Could you get that ball for me, _princess_?"

"I am _so_ going to _rip_ some balls off--"

"Kanda!" Marie thumped his brother's back menacingly. "Why don't you lend your basketball to Daisya?" Kanda scowled even deeper and grumbled as he reluctantly chucked the ball at Daisya's head.

Daisya caught it and dribbled awkwardly a few times before glancing up at Allen. "You ready for this?" he asked. Carefully lining up his feet with the arch of the three-point line, Daisya underhandedly launched the ball towards the basket, Grandma-style. The ball bounced precariously on the edge of the rim before dropping in through the hoop. Allen, Lenalee, and Marie all made sounds of disbelief.

"Oh!" Daisya yelled, looking jubilant. "OOOOOHHH!!!! Who's your daddy now, bitch?" He did a crazy dance on the court, singing "We Are The Champions".

"Cheater!" Lenalee stuck her tongue out before turning her back on him, still seeming miffed from Daisya's comment. Allen and Kanda both rolled their eyes at Daisya, who was now doing crotch thrusts to "Hot Stuff". Marie shook his head and strode up to his brother, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck in mid-thrust.

"Come on, idiot," Marie said, roughly pulling Daisya off the court. "Let's let them get started." He sat down behind the chain-link fence, dragging his brother down with him and ignoring his protests. Lenalee began to walk off the court, too, but she stopped halfway and ran back to Allen, hugging him tightly.

"Lenalee!" Allen smiled despite her coddling. "Stop worrying!"

"I'm not worried," she replied, stepping back and grinning a little too cheerfully. "Good luck, okay?" She gave him a playful punch to the shoulder before leaving to sit next to Marie.

Now the nearest person to Allen was Kanda, who was leaning against the entrance to the basketball court. Allen looked at him, noticing that his eyes were closed. _What's he doing?_ Allen inwardly wondered. _Is he annoyed or something?_ But Kanda's brow was not furrowed, like it often was, but smooth and relaxed. He almost seemed to be meditating. Then he opened his eyes, looking peaceful for a second before scowling at Allen. Allen scowled back.

"Hey, idiot," he called, "when are you going to get over here and get this started?"

"Don't start with me, sprout," Kanda grumbled. "I'll kick your ass."

"Why don't you come over here and try?" Allen placed his hands on his hips. Kanda gave him a scorching look and stalked over to his basketball, which was lying on the ground from where Daisya had made his shot. He dribbled a few times, then made a casual shot. The ball slid effortlessly through the hoop. He caught the ball, and then threw it hard at Allen, who caught it easily.

"Buckets?"

"Yeah."

"We play until…what, twenty-one?"

"Fine."

"You can start first." Allen tossed the ball back at Kanda, who deflected it back to Allen.

"Consider that your check. You're starting." And with that, Kanda was rushing towards him, one hand reaching for the ball. Allen pivoted, attempting to keep his back towards Kanda as he dribbled up the court. He set himself up for an easy shot, but Kanda jumped in the way, almost touching the ball. Allen kept moving, barely breaking stride. He got close to the basket and tried for a lay-up, but missed when Kanda got in his way. _Damn_.

"Pathetic," Kanda smirked at him as he gained possession of the ball, dribbling backwards to the half-court line. Allen took a deep breath and rushed towards him, trying to regain his rhythm. Kanda suddenly darted to the left, crossing over and faking Allen out. Allen skidded to a halt and sprinted to catch up with him, but it was too late. _Swish_. The ball sailed through the hoop, leaving Allen shocked. _I can't believe he scored that easily._

"Two to nothing!" Daisya shouted. "Yeah!"

"Come on, Allen!" Lenalee shouted. "I know you're better than that!"

"Yeah, Al, stop taking it easy on him!" Lavi appeared next to Lenalee with tall, strange-looking man with a lock of white hair.

"Lavi!" Allen shouted. "When did you get here?" But Kanda was clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"You have three seconds before I start dribbling, sprout," he said, turning his head to the side. Allen turned back to the game. After a brief check, Kanda was driving down the court again with Allen in hot pursuit.

"They're playing for keeps, huh?" Lavi said to Lenalee, taking a seat in the grass.

"What are you talking about?" Daisya asked.

" 'Keeps', or 'buckets', is the term used for when the scoring team retains possession of the ball until it is forcibly removed from his control," The strange man replied succinctly, his eyes on the game.

"In English?"

"Kanda keeps the ball until Allen takes it from him," Lavi said. "No tradeoffs after a score." He and Lenalee cheered as Allen stole the ball from Kanda. "Come on, Al!" he shouted as Allen dribbled back behind the half-court line.

Allen, meanwhile, focused hard on his game. _I'm going to do this_, he thought. _I'm going to make a three-point shot._ He envisioned the path he would take, and how Kanda would attempt to block him. He smiled, sprinting down the court. Kanda reached one hand around to get the ball, but Allen pivoted suddenly and dribbled the ball behind his back. He darted forward, pretending to go for a layup, but he backed up at the last second and aimed for a long shot. _Thump. Swish_. The ball hit the backboard and cleanly went through the basket.

"Yeah!" his teammates yelled from the sidelines. Allen shot them a glance before he grabbed the ball, jogging towards the half-court line again. He allowed himself a small smile before racing down the court. Kanda was immediately on him, but he managed to sidestep around him, getting in close for a two-point shot. He threw the ball towards the basket, jumping backwards a little as he did so. He connected with something softer than pavement, and he lost his balance, falling down hard on his butt. He was soon crushed down to the blacktop as Kanda followed.

"Shit," he panted. Lavi and Daisya were laughing their heads off, while Lenalee clutched her backpack anxiously.

"Idiot," Kanda replied, rolling off of Allen and sitting up. "How did you manage to do something so stupid so easily?"

Allen tried to catch his breath. "Shut up," he said. "Did it…go in?"

"Didn't see," Kanda said, turning to yell at the onlookers. "Shut the hell up, you losers! Did the ball go in or not?"

"Well, you sure went down! Down on Allen, that is!" Daisya and Lavi collapsed into fresh peals of laughter. Lenalee looked gave them a disgusted look.

"It most veritably did, Kanda," the strange man called, looking equally affronted at his two companions.

"Alright then," Allen stood up and offered his hand to Kanda, who ignored it. "Let's keep going then. Five to two, isn't it?" He smiled at the glare Kanda gave him.

"Give it a few minutes, bean sprout," Kanda replied, tossing the basketball at Allen. "That's not the last bit of pavement you'll be eating." And they were on again, with Allen struggling to keep the ball away from Kanda's hands.

He had a feeling this was going to be a long game.

*********

An hour later, the score had been raised to fourteen to thirteen, with Allen barely hanging on to the lead. True to Kanda's word, Allen had had a few more rough encounters with the ground, but he had not yet been seriously hurt. He and Kanda had decided on a timeout for the moment, since they were both sweating profusely and in need of a water break. They stood apart from each other on the sidelines, both surrounded by their respective teammates. Lenalee was rubbing more sun block into Allen's neck as he chugged from his water bottle, while Lavi chattered on about the game.

"I was a little worried when Kanda took the lead there, but you came right back and scored! Although you did trip again. Seriously, did you just buy new shoes or something? You're like a three-legged elephant out there. Is he tripping you up on purpose? It's kind of hard to—"

"Hey, Lenalee," said Allen, tuning Lavi out, "who is that guy, anyway?" He pointed to the strangely familiar man with the lock of white hair, who was holding out a towel for Kanda.

"That's Kanda's teammate, Krory," she replied, looking towards the man. "He, Kanda, and Marie form a three-person team." Allen realized with a start that he had seen Krory in a painting in Tiedoll's gallery.

"Krorykins!" Lavi suddenly exclaimed, breaking off from his monologue. "Man, that guy is a blast! Have you heard him talk? He's all _proper_ and stuff. It's crazy."

"Yes, you would be impressed by someone who can actually speak English," Lenalee laughed, turning to Allen.

"Hey, Lenalee, babe, don't be so cruel. You're breaking my heart over here."

"Oh, please."

"No, seriously, though, he's a pretty cool guy. I ran into him on my way here," Lavi continued to babble. "Apparently, his fiancée died about a year ago. He was in a funk, so he started to play ball around town. He met up with Marie and Kanda, and they've been a team ever since. He's really serious about his game, though. He needs to lighten up a little, don't you think?"

"Well, I think he's a very nice person," Lenalee said. "He's sweet and polite. And he doesn't talk too much." She stared pointedly at Lavi.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm gonna go piss off Yu a little, 'kay?" Lavi ambled across the court to the others.

Allen took the bottle of sun block out of his friend's hand, squirting out a little for his face. He smiled at her as she watched Lavi pull on Kanda's ponytail. "He's pretty happy today, isn't he?" he said, rubbing the lotion in.

She smiled a little, still watching him. "Yeah."

"You should go over there with him."

"You sure?" She looked surprised.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'd like a little space anyway." She gave him a smile, briefly touching his hair. Then she jogged to the other side of the court, leaving Allen alone. He looked up to the sky, frowning at the gathering clouds on the horizon. _At least I won't bake too badly. But still, it would suck if it rained._ He closed his eyes as a cool breeze helped dry him off. He tilted his face upwards and let out a sigh.

"Hey," said someone very near him. Allen, startled, lost his balance and fell backwards. He opened his eyes to see a half-irritated, half-amused Kanda. "You're a huge fucking klutz, aren't you?"

"Not usually…" Allen covered his face, embarrassed. "Just recently, it seems. But you could have warned me before scaring me like that."

"I did," said Kanda, "I said 'hey'. You just seem to have a problem with falling over, bean sprout. Maybe you should grow a thicker stalk."

_That kind of sounded dirty_. Allen kept his face in his hands so he wouldn't laugh. "What do you want from me, idiot?" he asked instead.

"Last time I checked, we were playing a game, you loser. Or do you forfeit?" Allen looked up at Kanda's confident smirk and smiled.

"I'm winning, stupid. Or did you forget?"

Kanda scowled. "Not for long. Get up. I want to get done before the sun fucking sets." He stalked towards the basketball. Allen allowed himself one moment before standing up and getting in position. The others moved off to the side of the court. A stronger wind was blowing now, ruffling his hair and blowing Kanda's ponytail to one side.

"Allen had possession," called Lavi from the fence. Kanda threw the ball to Allen, rushing up after him to steal. Allen immediately dodged, rushing to the side.

He knew something was wrong the moment he started moving. His foot got caught under him, and he stumbled, trying to regain his balance. Kanda, not expecting Allen to slow down, ran into him. Allen seemed to see in slow motion as he fell to the pavement. His wrist smashed against the court with a loud, sickening _crack_. The ball bounced away towards the hoop, but Kanda didn't move.

_I can't believe I just tripped again,_ thought Allen. Then his wrist throbbed with a piercing pain. _Shit, that hurts. _A large cloud passed by the sun, throwing the court in shadow. He lay there for a moment, feeling his wrist ache.

"Allen!" Lenalee cried, jumping up from her seat. She began to hurry towards him, but Lavi held her back.

"Just wait," he said. "Let Allen handle it first."

Kanda stood over him, looking down at him indifferently. "Are you going to get up or not, sprout?" he asked. "I'm not going to wait forever."

"Jerk!" Lenalee yelled. "You're the one who ran into him!" But Lavi clapped a hand over her mouth, shaking his head.

Allen took a deep breath, experimentally attempting to flex his wrist. Agonizing pain shot through his arm. _Okay, so I can't do that._ But he couldn't give up this easily. He wanted to win so badly. The look on Kanda's face if he lost would be worth a thousand hurt wrists. Allen steeled himself, then carefully got up, avoiding putting weight on his hurt arm. He looked at Kanda, who nodded and grabbed the basketball, backing up to the half-court line. Allen followed, making sure to avoid looking at Lenalee.

"Okay," he said, "let's go."

Kanda flitted down the court, setting up for a difficult three-point shot. Allen tried to block with one hand, but Kanda easily dodged. The ball bounced off the hoop, coming back towards them. Allen grabbed the ball, dribbling back to the line. The sky grew even darker, and thick raindrops began to fall, splattering the court with dark stains. Kanda rushed up to defend as Allen sprinted towards the basket. Kanda got in his way, coming up on his bad side. _He's not taking it easy on my arm,_ Allen realized. _Good_. He didn't want to win because Kanda didn't try. He tried to make a one-armed two-point shot, which Kanda easily blocked, regaining possession. Allen ran after him, struggling to ignore the regular stabs of pain as his wrist was jarred. Kanda was down the court, making a three-point shot before Allen could catch his breath. The rain was pouring down now, covering the blacktop in a slick layer and soaking everyone. The onlookers were all silent, watching the game intently.

Allen managed to step in between Kanda and the ball, blocking it with his good hand. He ran back, then darted up to the basket. He went for a layup, jumping up for better aim. As he landed, his feet slipped out from under him. He landed on his arm, which put immense pressure on his injury. _You've got to be kidding me,_ he thought as the excruciating pain overwhelmed him. _I __am__ a huge klutz. If I didn't make that shot, I'm going to have to kill myself. _His vision became dark and blurry. He passed out on the ground, the rain pounding on his face and Lenalee's yells ringing in his ears.

*********

_Argh, too bright. _

"It's a good thing he was out of it when we set it, or he would have passed out again."

_Who is that? Are they talking to me?_

"Is he going to be okay now?"

"He should be fine. Don't expect him to do a lot with that arm for a few weeks though."

"Tch. Stupid sprout."

_What? Was that Kanda? That had to be Kanda. _

…

_Where am I?_

Allen slowly opened his eyes under the glare of a harsh overhead light to see a group of people standing over him. He squinted, trying to make out faces. Kanda, Cross, Lavi, Lenalee, a nurse, and a doctor were all gathered around where he was laying. Lavi noticed Allen moving first and turned his attention toward him. "Hey, buddy, you okay?" he asked, squeezing his shoulder affectionately. Lenalee elbowed him out of the way and gave Allen an enthusiastic hug.

"Allen!" she buried her head in his neck. Allen smiled over her shoulder at Lavi, who pouted.

"Hey, Lenalee," Allen said thickly. "What happ—"

Lenalee slapped him upside the head. "You are a huge idiot!" she shouted, hitting him once more for good measure. "Why didn't you stop playing when you hurt your arm? Why?" She looked away, clearly upset. Allen opened his mouth to reply, not sure what to say. Lavi interrupted, saving him.

"Relax, Lenalee. He just woke up."

"Where am I, anyway?" Allen looked around, realizing he was on a bed in a plain beige room.

"St. Mary's hospital," the rather unkempt doctor answered, turning from his conversation with Cross and a nervous-looking nurse. "You have multi-fragmentary compound fracture in your right radius and ulna, as well as a minor concussion. Basically," he continued, "your right forearm has multiple breaks in the bone and your head took a knocking. You were playing basketball, right? Well, you won't be playing it for at least two months, I'm afraid. Maybe three."

Allen stared at the ceiling, shocked. "Two months?" he repeated. "I can't play for a whole two months?"

"Maybe three," Cross added. "Depending on if you're a fast healer or not." He didn't seem all that concerned with his ward's predicament. Allen closed his eyes, trying not to cry. By the time he could play basketball again, summer would be over and it would already be getting colder. What was he going to do with himself for two whole months? What was his team going to do?

"If you'd excuse me," the doctor said, pushing up his large glasses and interrupting Allen's thoughts, "I have somewhere to be. If you need anything, Miranda will assist you." He walked out, gesturing to the anxious nurse on his way. She looked at the people around her, wringing her hands.

"Um…" she stuttered, her eyes flitting nervously around the room. "Um… my name is Miranda." She swallowed. "Is there anything I could help you with, Mr. Walker?"

"Actually, I'd love a glass of water, if it's not too much trouble." Allen smiled cheerfully. He wanted to talk to his teammates alone.

"S-sure," Miranda said, walking out of the room. "I'll be right back." She shut the door carefully. There was silence in the room for a moment before Cross sighed and stretched.

"Well, I'm going to find some hot nurses and see if I can't get a discount on this huge hospital bill," Cross declared, following Miranda out of the room.

"Uh, I don't think that's how it works—" Lavi started to say, but he trailed off into silence as Cross slammed the door jarringly. Allen turned to his friends.

"Lenalee?" Allen asked, looking at her. She hadn't spoken in a while.

She looked down at him cheerlessly. "I'm sorry, Allen. I just didn't want to see you get hurt. And look what happened." She stroked his hair gently. "Your arm is broken in three places."

"It's a big bummer about the basketball thing, man," Lavi said, sitting down by Allen's knees. "I had already signed us up for the tournament too."

Allen racked his memory. "Tournament?"

"You know, the city-wide tournament? $1,500 to the winning three-person team?" Lavi sighed. "And the money would have bought me so many hamburgers." Allen detected a sudden movement out of the corner of his eye as Kanda shifted the chair he was sitting in. Allen had forgotten he was there.

"You always did have a big stomach, you hyperactive rabbit," he said, tossing his ponytail over his shoulder. "Too bad you won't be able to play in the three-person division."

"Hey, no need to rub it in my face, jerk," Lavi muttered. Lenalee looked curiously at Kanda.

"What do you mean, 'three-person division'?" she asked. "That sounds like you're implying that we could play in a different division."

"That's because I am implying that," Kanda clicked his tongue. Allen stared at Kanda confusedly.

"There's no two person—"

"I know," Kanda interrupted. "But there's a five-person team division. You two plus my team makes five."

"You'd really do that?" Allen asked, surprised. "How does that benefit you? You'll just be annoyed by Lavi the whole time."

"I know," Kanda turned away. "I guess I owe you one. Or something." He glared at the ugly tan walls. Allen smiled for real for the first time since waking up. Even though Kanda acted cold and cruel on the outside, Allen thought that he was more caring than he seemed on the inside.

"Well, that's great!" Lavi said, enthusiastic. Lenalee, however, looked at Allen worriedly.

"Are you okay with this, Allen?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied as he smiled at them. Inwardly, he was happy that he didn't ruin their summers, but he would much rather get to play with them instead of watch on the sidelines. "I'll be cheering you on."

"Are you kidding?" Kanda scoffed at him. "You'll be way too busy to do that. It's not easy to play basketball with one arm, loser."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, if Marie can play with no _eyes_, you can play with one arm. You'll just have to practice. It's not like you're going to have to give up basketball for a whole two months." Kanda rolled his eyes. "Idiot."

Allen was amazed. He had never thought of that before.

"Hey, guys!" Daisya greeted as he opened the door, trailed by Marie and Krory. "How's the world's biggest martyr doing?" He smirked at Allen.

"Great!" Lavi interjected. "So we're going to play basketball with you guys, Krorykins? I can't wait!" He leapt up and hugged his two new teammates. "So how are we going to do this thing?" He, Lenalee, and the two brothers broke off in a complicated conversation about positions and strategies. Kanda leaned forward, blocking Allen's view.

"I'm pissed," he said, poking Allen in the forehead. "Real pissed. You better heal fast, because when you do, I'm coming after you and we're finishing that game."

"Kanda," Allen smiled. He was getting to the point where he almost could stand him. "Hey, I was going to ask... did I make that basket right before I fell?"

"You didn't see?" Kanda scowled. "Then it doesn't count."

"Yes, it does!" Allen smacked him lightly on the head. "Did I make it or not?"

Kanda sighed and stood up. "Technically, you did. But after you fell down like that, it should really only be worth half points." He smirked at Allen's protests. "Later, sprout." And he left, smacking Daisya on his way out. Allen watched him go, pouting.

"I-I'm back!" Miranda announced as she carefully walked through the doorway, carefully holding a paper cup full of water. "Here's your—oh no!" She had just gotten to the bed when she slipped, falling over and throwing the cup in the air. She ran into Lavi, who fell on top of Lenalee. The cup flew in the air before landing square on Allen's head.

"I'm so sorry! I should just... oh, I should just die!" Miranda collapsed into sobs. Allen, however, started to laugh, much to the surprise of everyone else.

"Thanks," he said, licking his wet lips. Lavi and Lenalee started to giggle too, and soon the whole room had collapsed into peals of laughter. Miranda looked around the room, utterly amazed.

********

The doctor strode across the parking lot, pushing back his hair with one hand. He was deep in conversation on his cell phone. "No, it's pretty bad," he said, searching for his keys in his pocket. "Yeah, at least. Maybe three months if we're lucky." He listened for a while, then smirked. The man took off his glasses, revealing the tanned face of Tyki Mikk. "Don't worry, Earl. I'll take care of the boy. Soon he will be in our power."

* * *

A/N: Why does Allen fall so much? I have no idea. He fell when he first met Kanda, too, remember? It just always seems to work with the plot. Poor, poor Allen. :D


	5. Bad Romance

A/N: I have absolutely no excuse, I know. I have been really, really busy, and I will be really busy for the next month (I'm looking at you, calculus!), so I apologize for this lateness/ future latenesses. You can tell how old this is by the song in the title, which isn't even popular anymore. D: I don't even really like Lady Gaga... ah, whatever. It's a fairly long chapter, so enjoy.

And as a side note, Allen's voice in my head does not sound anything like that stupid dub that they released. He is fucking BRITISH. He is not some guy from Minnesota with a constant head cold. _Really_.

I don't own D. Gray-Man.

* * *

Chapter Five

Bad Romance

"So, I was all like, 'Nuh-uh! No way, girl!' But she was like 'Hell, yeah!'" Lavi licked up a melted drip down the side of his ice cream cone. "And then she went up to him and was like, 'Kiss me!' And he totally did! It was an insane plot twist, man! Totally, like, romantic and stuff."

"No way!" Lenalee picked the cherry off of her sundae. "I really wanted him to hook up with Angela! That other girl's not nearly good enough for him! He's so gorgeous…"

"Really, I thought the sexual tension between them was what made the show interesting," Marie said seriously. "I don't know if it'll be good now that they're together."

"I thought he should have married the surgeon," said Krory.

"WHAT?" The others yelled. "No way!"

"That surgeon was really ugly!" Lenalee exclaimed. "She, like, never took a shower!"

"And she was totally a lesbian!" added Lavi.

"What?" said Marie.

"I can't stand this anymore!" Kanda fell back, massaging his temples with both hands. "If you don't shut up about that stupid show, I will show you all the meaning of pain! Especially you," he said as he gave Lavi his best murderous glare.

"Hmph," Krory pouted. "You have no romance in your soul at all, Kanda."

"And I'd love to keep it that way, thanks."

"Oh, really?" Marie smiled. "I think it's a little too late for that, don't you?"

"What?" Kanda turned his glower onto his brother. "Shut the fuck up. I have no idea what you're talking about. Never say that again." He stood up. "I'm going for a walk," he said, stalking out into the scorching August sun.

"Hey, Kanda," Lavi called after him, "How long will it take before you guys are _together_?" He chuckled. "You know. Long walks on the beach, romantic candlelit dinners—ack!" He jumped to his feet and sprinted away as Kanda raced toward him, his hands clenched into fists. They ran around the park as the rest of the group laughed from the shade of their favorite large oak tree.

"You know, he really does like Allen," Marie smiled as he finished up his melted ice cream. "He hasn't missed a practice with me and Allen yet." He closed his eyes in contentment as Kanda jumped on top of Lavi, knocked him down, and gave him a few punches to the gut.

"How are those going, anyway?" Lenalee asked.

"Pretty well, considering," Marie replied. "Having one arm in a sling throws his balance off, and he's taken a few nose dives." He chuckled. "But he's gotten most of his speed back. He can dribble really well with his left hand now, that's for sure."

"L-love!" Lavi shouted, trying to catch his breath as Kanda pummeled him. "You're in lo—argh!" Kanda opted for the knee to the crotch, which left Lavi curled up in a ball of agony.

"Shut the fuck up!" Kanda socked him once more for good measure, then stood up and brushed off his knees, looking a little happier.

"Kanda," Krory called from under the oak, winking at his friends. "We were all considering going down to the gallery sometime soon. Would you care to join us?"

Marie grinned widely. "Oh, tell me, Krory, do you know if Allen is working right now?"

"I believe he might be, Marie," Krory replied seriously. "Of course, we'd have to visit the gallery to be certain." He and Marie smiled expectantly at Kanda. Kanda scowled, glaring at everyone in turn. Lenalee stifled a giggle. He was obviously trying to decide whether the visit to the (air-conditioned) gallery was worth the ridicule from his teammates.

"I don't care, losers," he finally said, "but if the sprout's there, I'm leaving."

"Of course," Marie replied solemnly. The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Yep," said Lavi, who was still on the ground, "Yu's in _love_!" The others collapsed into giggles as Kanda placed a well-aimed kick to his ribs.

ooooooooooo

"No way!" Allen exclaimed. "I can't believe it! Those two got together? He totally should have married the surgeon!"

"What is with you losers?" Lenalee said disgustedly. "It's obvious that he and Angela were meant to be!" Allen was indeed working at the gallery, and Kanda was still there, much to his own dismay. He even had to listen to the whole stupid soap opera conversation again, with the added bonus of Allen noisily eating a sundae that his friends had considerately brought him.

"So wait… she's really a lesbian?" Allen was now saying. Kanda couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up and silently skulked into the gallery. No one called after him, so he figured he was free for the time being. His frown lessened as their voices became more and more muffled by the walls of the gallery. He walked leisurely, his thoughts relaxing into less violent ideas.

He frowned for a while at a still life painting as he thought presently of Lavi's idiotic comments in the park. He did not _love_ things, no matter what certain morons implied. He _tolerated_ things, certainly, and if he really got used to them he might even say that he liked them. But never _love_. And the bean sprout could never even fall in the "tolerate" category. That stupid cheerful smile and positive attitude... _Way too much like him,_ he thought. _But I don't want to think of that right now._

He stopped in front of the large mural featuring Marie, Krory, and himself.

_Are my arms really that weak-looking? _He frowned at the brush strokes. Looking around guiltily, he carefully flexed his bicep. _Nah. It's just that old man's senility,_ he reassured himself, comparing his muscles to the painting.

A sudden snort of laughter interrupted Kanda's assessment. He turned guiltily to come face to face with Allen, who gave him a brilliantly amused smile.

"Shut up," Kanda grumbled, trying to look composed. "Why aren't you out there discussing your stupid woman shows with the rest of them?"

"They're not 'woman shows', Kanda," Allen explained patiently. "They're dramas. And I wanted to look for you."

"Well, I was trying to get away from you by coming here," Kanda stated bluntly. He retreated further into the gallery, but Allen's footsteps followed him. "Don't follow me, you stupid sprout."

"Hey, Kanda," Allen asked, "did you pose for these paintings, or did Tiedoll paint from memory?" He seemed oblivious to Kanda's solitary mood as he regarded another painting of Kanda. "I don't think you'd let him paint you knowingly, but they're so realistic…"

"That doesn't look like me at all," Kanda reluctantly grumbled. "The arms are way too wimpy-looking."

"Huh?" Allen glanced from Kanda's body to the painting, then smirked. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "That's why you were making a muscle!" He looked far too smug for Kanda's liking.

"I was comparing it," Kanda turned away from him, stalking over to a random painting on the other side of the room. "I wasn't _making a muscle_."

"Yes, you were," Allen teased, coming up behind him to look at the same drawing. _Stupid, stupid sprout,_ thought Kanda, gritting his teeth. "You were _flexing_. You were _showing off your guns_." He giggled. Kanda stiffened as Allen shifted closer to his side. He was suddenly aware how warm the boy felt standing next to him. He shuffled away uncomfortably, but Allen followed. _Fucking idiot,_ he grumbled in his head. _He's doing it on purpose._

Allen suddenly sighed after a few moments of silence. "I really don't want to go home after work today," he said quietly. Kanda remained silent, not feeling like talking for the moment. He realized that their arms were now touching, very slightly. He could barely smell Allen's shampoo—mint, he noted. Then he stopped himself. _What am I doing?_ he thought with an edge of panic. _Why am I okay with him next to me? Why do I like the smell of his hair? Why--_

Then Allen sighed, and Kanda found himself staring at a head of white hair that was now resting on his shoulder. _He's leaning against me,_ he thought, panicking inwardly. _He's touching me and his head is on my shoulder and what the hell-- _

"What do you think you're doing, you fucking idiot?" Kanda shouted, roughly pushing Allen away. Allen looked bewildered.

"Sorry, I guess I'm a little tired," he said, rubbing the back of his head abashedly. "I didn't mean to freak you out or—hey!" Kanda was striding out of the room. Allen ran up to him and caught his arm. "Where are you going?"

Kanda pulled his arm out of Allen's grasp without looking at him. "I'm leaving. I've had enough of losers for the day." He started to leave. Allen reached for him again, but Kanda pushed him this time, sending him sprawling on the polished floor.

"Go away, idiot sprout. You're annoying and I hate you. Stop acting like it's anything different." Kanda stalked out of the room without looking back. Allen stared after him, still prone on the ground. He gazed at the empty space where Kanda had been for a while, then slowly stood up and brushed off his jeans. He spared one long glance at the mural of Kanda and his brothers before leaving.

"Hey, Yu, where are you going?" Lavi broke off from his chat with his teammates long enough to grab Kanda's arm as he strode past. Kanda broke his hold easily and stalked out the door without a word.

"Yu!" Lavi called, running out after him. Kanda spun around and punched him in the stomach.

"Don't," he muttered through gritted teeth, "call me 'Yu'." Lavi stared bewilderedly as Kanda slammed the door behind him.

"What in the world's gotten into him?"

ooooooooooooooooo

Tyki sighed for the umpteenth time that day, running a hand through his careless hair. It wasn't easy, being a part of the Noah family. Most people envied the Noah—after all, who wouldn't want to be part of an important, rich, big, happy family like them? But Tyki knew better. Being wealthy and famous was lovely, sure, but there were some definite downsides to the _family_ part of the equation.

"TYYYYYYKKIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Take Jasdevi, for example.

"What are you doing?" David asked Tyki rudely, bursting into Tyki's room and roughly pushing him out of his chair so that he could stare at the papers on Tyki's desk. Tyki tried not to castrate the boy right there. _Really_. He was doing important work, and his stupid little nephew didn't even have the decency to knock.

"Yeah, Tyki, why aren't you eating dinner with the rest of us?" Jasdero appeared next to his twin, grinning and waving around—oh, God, was that a _gun_?

"Where did you get that?" asked Tyki weakly, knowing that it was no use trying to take it away from him. Really, what they needed was some discipline.

"They're our toys," said the two boys in unison. David pulled out a gun to match Jasdero's, and he aimed it at Tyki's annoyed expression. "Bang," he shouted, "you're DEAD!" They both collapsed into raucous laughter. Tyki was not amused.

"Get out," he pointed at the door. "Get out, get out, get out, or I'll have to hurt you both."

"You can't hurt us," Jasdero stuck his tongue out between his ornamental stitches around his mouth.

"Yeah!" David kept up, stepping up on Tyki's expensive leather chair.

"Because…"

"We're…"

"JASDEVI!!!"

The twins punctured their exclamation by peppering the ceiling liberally with bullet holes. _BANGBANGBANG!_

"OUT!" Tyki roared. The twins scampered out the door before their uncle could get to them, giggling the whole way. Tyki scowled up at the holes in the ceiling, making a mental note to get a servant to fix them pronto. _Perhaps I should just find a new room_, he thought tiredly. _One with a lock on the door. _He sighed once before settling into his chair, intent on getting some work done. No sooner had he thought this than he felt the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end. He turned around just in time to be dive-tackled by a slender figure.

"Tyki!" Road, his neice, nuzzled into his neck, one hand holding a lollipop to her mouth. "Why do you always have to be so _boring_? Can't you do something besides work?"

"You know I only do what the Earl desires of me," Tyki replied, failing to disentangle himself from her grip. "Besides, I don't always work. I have quite a bit of fun on my own time."

"Poker? Yuck," she stuck out her tongue at him, which was dyed blue from her candy. "Plus you're all stinky and gross when you play. Ooh, he's _cute_!" She had caught sight of a picture in the files on his desk. She pulled it closer, captivated. "Is that why you've been working so much? Will I get to meet him? _Please_, Tyki?"

"Stinky?" He couldn't believe it. He had to be in disguise so people wouldn't recognize him and bother him. By no means did that make him _gross_. "Well, if that's what you think, then I guess you'll never get to meet him..."

"No, no! I was joking! Really, Tyki, you're always pretty. Though I wish you would grow out your hair a little," she grinned as she pulled on his curly locks. "Please, I really want to meet this boy, this... _Allen Walker_," she read the caption below. "I want to play with him. He would make a perfect little doll."

"You may get to meet him," Tyki felt his mouth curl up into a smirk as he regarded the picture with Road. "If the Earl is planning what I think he's planning, then I'm sure you will."

"What fun," she replied. Her expression mirrored her uncle's as she snatched the file and skipped to the door. "I can't wait until it begins. See you later, Tyki."

_I'm never going to get any work done, _Tyki realized as he stared at the empty space where his work had been. _I guess I might as well go down to dinner._

oooooooooooo

"Bollocks!" Allen cried in frustration as he missed his layup for the eleventh time. "This is never going to work, Marie!"

"What do you mean?" Marie replied calmly.

"I can't make one bloody basket no matter how hard I try!"

"Actually, I was wondering what you meant by the word 'bollocks'," Marie said with a straight face. Allen stared at him in exasperation for a moment before realizing that Marie was impervious to his expression.

"I'm rolling my eyes at you," he said instead. "This isn't funny, Marie. If I can't play basketball until this stupid arm heals I will go insane."

"Really now."

"I'm dead serious."

"Look, Allen, you were doing great last time we practiced. Are you sure something else isn't affecting your game?" Marie closed his eyes and patiently waited as Allen sputtered.

"I don't—what do you—what are you implying, Marie?"

"Look, this is the first practice that Kanda hasn't attended, and yesterday he stormed out of the gallery and hasn't talked to anyone since," Marie frowned at his friend. "It's obvious you two had some kind of argument. And it's affecting how you play basketball. Why don't you just make up with him so you can focus?"

"It's not that simple," replied Allen wearily. "I think I kind of freaked him out."

"Let's take a break, then, and you can tell me all about it." Marie carefully walked towards the grassy edge of the court and sat down. Allen followed, sprawling on the grass and taking a sip of water.

"So I kind of hugged him," he began awkwardly. "I mean, it wasn't really a hug, because I didn't hold him or anything, but I just kind of... touched him?" He flushed as Marie's eyebrows climbed steadily up his face. "Uh...can I start over?"

"Please do."

"Okay. We were talking, and we were actually getting along pretty well. I teased him a little, because I caught him making a muscle..."

Marie snorted in quiet laughter. Allen smiled for a moment before continuing.

"And I started thinking about how I had to go home, and how much I didn't want to have to see Cross, and I somehow ended up leaning my head against his shoulder. And he pushed me away and left and I haven't seen him since." Allen closed his eyes at the memory of Kanda's departure. Marie was silent for a minute before sighing quietly.

"It's not your fault, Allen," he explained as he patted Allen's shoulder gently. "Kanda doesn't like to get close to people."

"That's for sure."

"He had a traumatic childhood."

"He was dropped on his head, wasn't he?"

"Maybe," Marie replied. "But I'm serious. He lost someone very close to him when he was young. He went through a lot of pain, both physical and emotional. He's come a long way since then, but he's always been very standoffish." He faltered. "I really don't think it's my place to tell you any more. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you himself. But you have to give him space, and you have to let him know that you care for him."

"And how do you propose I do that?" Allen scowled at the ground, picking at the grass with one hand. To his surprise, Marie chuckled and ruffled Allen's hair.

"Why don't you just try talking to him and apologizing? After all, Kanda likes you a lot. Trust me. He won't be mad forever."

Allen smiled, suddenly encouraged. It seemed to him that the sun shined a little brighter. He would find Kanda and talk to him, one on one. He could do this. Standing up suddenly, he jogged over to the forgotten basketball, palming it with one hand.

"Let's try this again, Marie."

oooooooooooo

"Eggs!" Skinn spat out the food in disgust. "It's not sweet! Why isn't it sweet!?" He grabbed the waitress by the front of her uniform and decked her across the room. Tyki couldn't believe his eyes. _Really_. He had almost forgotten how much fun it was to eat with the whole family.

"What did you expect, Skinn?" Road's annoyed tone floated across the table. "It's an _egg_, silly. A plain old egg. It's not going to taste like anything different."

"I want sweet food," Skinn insisted belligerently. "Right NOW!" The servers scattered out of the dining room, no doubt looking for something to appease the Noah's appetite. Tyki sighed and chewed his egg solemnly.

"So, Tyki, how has the task been going?" The Millenium Earl smiled fondly at Tyki from his right. "I heard you have been quite successful."

"Somewhat," Tyki replied. "However, certain…miscreants… have been rather distracting as of late." He sent a pointed glare in the direction of Jasdevi, who were now pretending to shoot their eggs into little pieces. The Earl chortled contentedly.

"It's been so long since we all ate a meal together," he said, grinning widely and taking a large bite of egg. "How nice it is to be part of a big family like ours." Skinn pounded the table in happiness as an entire chocolate cake was set in front of him, while David accidentally sent a bullet ricocheting off the table. In the corner, Lulubell was frowning into space, ignoring her food, while further down the table various other Noah talked loudly to each other. Tyki sighed and addressed the Earl.

"Tell me," he said as Jasdero leapt across the table at Road, "What in the world made you adopt all of us, Earl?"

"Why?" The Earl almost seemed surprised at Tyki's question, but he recovered quickly. "Why, what would I do without you? You are like my dear children. And more importantly, what would all of you talented children do without _me_?"

"I imagine quite a few of us would end up in prison," Tyki replied dryly as he watched Road viciously skewer Jasdero's hand with a sharp candle.

"_Road!_ Do not damage the tendons! Of course, Tyki, dearest. Jails, orphanages, shabby apartments, with meaningless careers and meaningless lives. Society doesn't realize what gifts you all were born with. What you could become."

"Except for you."

"Precisely." The Earl leaned back in his chair, shrouding his face in the shadows. "You are my children, and you are my empire. With Road's keen insight into the mind, with your handsome face and cunning deadliness, with Skinn's brute force... all of you, together, build our monopoly."

"Are you talking about the NOAH company?"

"Yes, that. Of course that."

"You do realize that we sell insurance."

"And is that all we sell, my dear Tyki?" The Earl's grin could be seen even in the gloom.

"Wacky ta-BACKY!" Jasdero shouted, waving his pistol in exultation.

"It starts with the business, Tyki. But it doesn't end there." Road slowly licked her spoon clean.

"Together, we can control the insurance industry, the black market, Congress... anything. There's nothing that can stop us. Together, the whole world is our plaything." Lulubell had broken out of her deep thought long enough to join in.

"Not quite," the Earl amended. "I'm afraid that they are on to our plan."

"No," Tyki gasped.

"Yes," said the Earl, "I have intelligence that they are making moves to thwart us."

"Who?" Jasdevi asked in unison, staring intently at the Millenium Earl.

"Government workers," Road hissed.

"Yes. They're everywhere. They collect taxes and renew driver's licenses. They annoy you with fines and court dates when you break a few teensy laws. Underpaid and unhappy they may be, but they are fairly efficient at dealing with so-called 'criminals'. Yes, the government will by the bane of the Noah." The Earl was now shaking with rage. "And they are practically on our doorstep. If we do nothing, all of my aspirations will be crushed."

"What? Who? Who's onto us?" Tyki asked. The Earl just smiled.

"You need to work harder, my darling Tyki. You should know already."

"You mean..."

"Yes. I am talking about Allen Walker."

* * *

A/N: So at this point, I do realize that the plot kind of seems like the story "Xanthous". It is not, I assure you. It will be a little similar but it will go in a different direction. Also, this is not a serious story, as you can probably tell. :D

I was going to make this chapter a little longer, but if I don't put this up now it will be another month, so I figured I'd upload now and just make the next one longer.

Hey, leave a review if it makes you happy. It sure makes me happy. And it will help keep me sane as I study my ass off. :D

CHAPTER SIX COMING SOON.

MAYBE.


End file.
